Q. Should I Euthanize My Dog?

Posted by Mia Carter Nov 5, 2008

On November 4, 2008, I received the following question on the article entitled Should I Euthanize My Pet?: "Our dog is frequently urinating in our house. She is a 10-year-old boxer who doesn't like her walks anymore, drinks lots of water but still has good appetite. She sleeps a lot and she's up every two hours during the night for water and pee. Is it time to start considering euthanazing her? My wife and I cannot take much more!!!"

This is a case where I would recommend a visit to the veterinarian for an evaluation, consisting of a basic medical exam, and possible blood work and urinalysis.

The symptoms you describe are consistent with diabetes and a few other very treatable conditions that are relatively common in older dogs. A dog with diabetes will exhibit the symptoms you describe, and the dog's quality of life can be improved dramatically with regular medication. Overall, the condition is not expensive to treat and once the pet has stabilized on medication, diabetes is fairly easy to manage in the long term.

A condition like canine diabetes would account for the increased appetite, increased drinking and excessive urination. The fact that this dog no longer enjoys walks could also be credited to feeling poorly as a result of the fact that her diabetes is not being managed with medication.

It could also be the case that this dog no longer enjoys walks because she has a touch of arthritis, which is common in older dogs. Daily doses of aspirin and glucosamine chondrointin can dramatically improve an arthritic dog's quality of life. You may want to consider reading my article on arthritis management in older dogs for some other simple tips to effectively manage arthritis in dogs.

There is one very effective way to manage the excessive urination in the house until your dog's medical problems are sorted out. I have a dog who suffers from Addison's Disease, which means he's on high doses of Prednisone for life. Prednisone is a steroid that makes him drink copious amounts of water and he too cannot "hold it" through the night. The solution? We purchase puppy pads and we place a couple of puppy pads on the floor in our utility room at night. He still goes outside to do his business during the day, but at night, he uses the puppy pads. Virtually no training was required - it took only a day or two for our dog to get the hang of using the puppy pads at night.

When purchased in bulk, these puppy pads are an inexpensive and effective solution for an incontinent dog the short term or long term. I purchase my puppy pads from a wholesaler called PetEdge in boxes of 100 ($18.49 for 100 or $35.49 for 200) and when purchased in bulk like this, it's an inexpensive option, whereas if you purchase puppy pads from Petco or PetSmart, the best price you'll find is about $20 for 50.

I do not think this is a true case of incontinence (where the dog loses muscle control) - I think this excessive urination is actually a condition called polyuria (excessive urination) which is associated with polydipsia (excessive drinking.) It's likely that if you can pinpoint the cause for the excessive drinking (polydipsia), the excessive urination (polyuria) will stop.

So in sum, my recommendation is to see if this is a situation where your dog's quality of life can be improved with medication or another treatment. I strongly suspect an underlying condition like diabetes is the cause of the problems you're seeing. There's a good chance the condition can be effectively managed with medication and you could have another one, two, three years or more with your Boxer.

Euthanasia is never an easy decision, but I always encourage pet owners to learn all they can about the dog's physical condition. Once a pet owner has all the facts, they're in a good position to make a decision about whether to euthanize a pet. But without the facts, it's hard to make a good decision. Would you feel guilty if you just euthanized your dog, without investigating her condition to see if there's something that can be done to help? Often, the dog's situation is one that can be improved with treatment. In other cases, there is no chance of improvement and it's this dog who is a good candidate for euthanasia. Either way, an exam, blood work and urinalysis will likely give you the information you need to make an informed decision.

From what you describe, I don't think this dog's case is hopeless - I wouldn't give up on her just yet. I'd investigate this a bit further. I think there's a good chance she can be helped.

Have a pet question? Or a suggestion for a pet care article? Send your questions and suggestions to Mia.Carter@Suite101.com

Disclaimer: I have extensive experience in caring for animals, including sick and special needs animals, but I am not a veterinarian. I can provide information and advice based on research and my many years of experience with pet care and training, but it's not a substitute for seeking medical attention from a veterinarian.